


Spiders can't get sick, can they?

by Ashfirebolt



Category: Avengers, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Cold, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt Peter, Sarcasm, Sick Peter Parker, Sickness, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 13:24:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19229998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashfirebolt/pseuds/Ashfirebolt
Summary: In fact, Peter didn't feel much like talking much today so he was happy enough to just sit back in the car and rest his eyes. But that actually made him feel dizzy along with everything else so he had to keep his eyes opened. But then he sort of felt motion sick so he started fidgeting around in the back."You okay Kid?" Happy asked raising an eyebrow at the teenager."Yeah, I'm great thanks," Peter said his voice going hoarse again."Please don't tell me your voice is only now breaking?" Happy asked him.ORPeter finally, finally gets to go on a mission. He should be over the moon, but instead, he feels as though he's dying because of a stupid cold. I mean, can spiders even get sick?





	Spiders can't get sick, can they?

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Ao3 fic but I posted it originally on fanfiction, please let me know what you think. This fic was originally going to be called 'Shot through the heart' but I decided against it at the last minute, it's also the lyric that inspired the fic. Hope you enjoy!

Spiders can't get sick, can they?

Peter had never even seen an ill spider. Was it even possible for it to happen? He doubted that they could catch the common cold anyway. That was a human thing was it not?

Since getting bitten by the spider, Peter had been completely healthy. The top of his game. Which more than likely made him a bit cockier than usual. When Ned had gotten sick earlier this month, Peter still kept visiting him thinking that he would never catch it. Even if he did, it would be out of his system before it had the time to develop into actual symptoms.

Or so he thought.

Turns out the reason you never see a sick spider is because sick spiders tend to die after being sick. The sickness is usually not what kills them but rather a lead up to an inevitable death, but either way, death is usually the result.

Now don't take this to mean foreshadowing, because that wasn't the intended effect. Because after all, Peter is only slightly spidery. The rest of his genetic makeup is human. Advanced human but human nonetheless.

And also, spiders don't catch the cold. That is a human disease. But when you mix a human disease with a spider, it can make even the strongest human feel as though death is upon them even with something like a cold.

So when Peter woke up the morning of December 8th he should have been excited. The 8th is the day the Christmas decorations went up and was one of Peter's favourite days. He felt he needed a day like that this year because it hadn't been an easy one.

It was a year of him attempting to help 'the little guy', attempting to do all his school work, study for his exam, study for decathlon, do his 'internship' and still make time for May and Ned. That was tough enough before the whole Thanos thing had happened. Peter didn't remember a lot of it but what he did remember was Tony's face when he opened his eyes. Stricken and hopeless looking.

Peter had been weak and in and out of consciousness but apparently being turned to ash has that effect on you. Afterwards Tony was weird with him. Kind of motherly almost. It freaked him out. Peter was banned from being Spiderman for the foreseeable future but he still went to intern with Tony during the week. Thankfully May was none the wiser about anything that had gone down.

It was only recently Peter got permission to go out on patrol again, with a very long set of rules. Such as 'if you see anyone not human, run the other way as quickly as you can' or 'If Karen tells me you're hurt and you don't reply to my calls for any reason other than death, I'll kill you myself' The list went on.

May had also started working harder to try and get some extra money in so that they could have a nice Christmas this year. Money was a bit tighter this year and Peter had gotten used to waking up to coldness, in a bid to cut back on the heating charges.

But on the 8th when Peter woke up, the house wasn't just cold, it was freezing. His teeth chattered as he rolled over to turn off his alarm. That's when he noticed his extremely blocked nose which meant he had to breathe through his mouth. He also felt exhausted, almost as tired as he had felt after the whole Thanos situation.

He hugged the duvet into him as he walked to the bathroom. He was paler than usual when he looked in the mirror that morning. Deep bags were under his eyes and he seemed to be sweating? How could he be sweating when he felt like he'd been put into the freezer. (Sorry Cap). He felt his forehead and found he was burning hot. Peter groaned. That was never going to be a good sign. Thank god he didn't have school because he didn't think he would be fit for it.

May was working until at least three so that meant that until then he could curl up in bed, with a cup of tea and sleep until he no longer felt like he was being trampled.

The kettle was barely boiled when his phone started ringing. Peter groaned hoping it wasn't Ned trying to make plans because he really didn't want to have to say no to him. But it wasn't Ned, it was Tony. Peter frowned. Was he supposed to meet with him today and forgotten?

"Hello?" Peter said as he answered the phone, attempting to disguise the hoarseness that crept into his voice.

"Kid, I need your help with a mission, you in?" Tony said quickly.

"Really Mr Stark? A mission? What happened? Who's involved? Where is it?" Peter asked excitedly.

"Look, I can't really talk about it on the phone, are you in?" Tony asked and Peter could tell he was rolling his eyes but Peter didn't care, he was too excited at finally being involved with something big. That Mr Stark thought he was good enough for it.

"Of course I'm in!"

"Good, Happy should be there in ten minutes or so. Don't forget to bring your web refills." Peter nodded wincing at the memory of the time he had forgotten them while training with Black Widow for the first time and he had ended up face planting the ground while Tony fell to the group laughing.

"No problem Mr Stark, see you soon!" As soon as Peter had hung up the phone he remembered a big issue, namely his illness. But he didn't care anymore, he was going to help with something big, he couldn't not go.

Quickly forgetting his tea, Peter quickly changed, throwing his Spiderman suit into a bag along with his web refills. He glanced through the cupboards looking for something to take and he found some cold medicine which he quickly took in the hopes that he'd feel somewhat better. He threw some extras into the bag knowing that with his metabolism he wouldn't be long burning through the medicine.

Before he knew it, he had a text from Happy telling him he was outside. Peter quickly left a note for May explaining that he had to go help Mr Stark and that he hoped to be home by the evening time.

"Hey Happy." Peter grinned when he jumped into the car. "You got here quick."

"I had to leave Ms Potts in the city." Came Happy's short reply but Peter was expecting much more from him.

In fact, Peter didn't feel much like talking much today so he was happy enough to just sit back in the car and rest his eyes. But that actually made him feel dizzy along with everything else so he had to keep his eyes opened. But then he sort of felt motion sick so he started fidgeting around in the back.

"You okay Kid?" Happy asked raising an eyebrow at the teenager.

"Yeah, I'm great thanks," Peter said his voice going hoarse again.

"Please don't tell me your voice is only now breaking?" Happy asked him.

Peter just gave him a small laugh before going back to looking out of the window. He still felt exhausted and he knew they were still at least a half hour drive away so Peter decided that it would do no harm to have a bit of a nap. It might not make him feel any better but at this rate, it wasn't going to make matters much worse.

That really threw Happy off, first of all, the kid was quiet for once, which is a rare occasion in itself, and now he was asleep? He couldn't figure out what was going on with him.

The drive was strangely quiet and while Happy did enjoy the peace, he did not want to evoke Tony's wrath if anything actually did happen to the boy.

When they arrived, Tony was standing waiting on the car. Happy jumped to tell him about the strangeness unaware that he woke up Peter with the slam of the door, and forgetting that the boys hearing was far superior to his own.

"Hey Ton, the kid doesn't seem to be in good shape." Happy informed him.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked looking at him over his sunglasses. "As in nerves?"

"No, as in he is pale white, he didn't speak the whole way up and now he's sound in the back of the car." Happy said raising an eyebrow. Peter heard this and panicked. He couldn't let them think he was ill so he instead opened the car door and got out before Tony could reply.

"Hey, Mr Stark, ready to go?" He said putting on his most enthusiastic voice.

"Hey Pete, you alright?" Tony asked observing the boy.

"Hm? Yeah fine, just a little nervous is all." Peter said with a little laugh. "Anyway see you later Hap." He said sidestepping the man and making his way his the compound praying he seemed fine.

"I'd say he'll be alright Hap, he's a teenager, they need their sleep more than we need oxygen." Tony laughed before following the teenager into the building.

"Right, so this is the plan." Tony started to inform Peter on the way in the door.

"There's this guy, you wouldn't know him, but basically, he's been plotting against the Avengers for months. We've been keeping an eye on him since we heard a rumour that he wanted to attack the compound. We were basically waiting for him to step out of line so that we could something." Tony explained as they walked down the corridor.

"He's not dangerous on his own, but he's a nasty piece of work and he may have got people there to help 'protect' him. We just got word of illegal activities which means we're able to finally do something. Strike him before they strike us." Tony said as Peter tried to keep up with both the walking and the plan.

"We're getting as many people together as possible just in case they have an 'army' lined up to take us on," Tony said rolling his eyes.

"Mr Stark, who all is involved?" Peter asked him.

"Well Mr Parker, it's the two of us, Bruce and well that's it really," Tony said with a laugh. "Everyone else is either busy with their lives or well, on the run at the moment. But we should be fine."

Peter nodded as Tony led them to the board room Bruce was already sat. Peter gave them a small wave as they began to go through their proper plan of attack. Peter heard what he was supposed to do and after that, he just zoned out.

Before Peter knew it, he was being dragged to the Quinjet and settling in for the short flight. Peter excused himself to the bathroom to change into his outfit and while he was there he took a few doses of cold medicine knowing that he would burn through a singular dose far too quickly.

He took a deep breath as they arrived at their destination.

It was go time

The fight went reasonably well. There was a lot of kicking and fighting and all swinging, but all in all, Peter was quite happy at how he held up.

"Got him," Tony announced over the comms. "Do a last sweep over the rooms and make sure everyone is accounted for."

Peter was proud of himself. He held up under the pressure.

Just as he walked around the last corner into the room, his spider senses went crazy. But due to the medicine, he was too hazy and drugged to react properly in time and next thing Peter knew was he had been stabbed. (I told you it wouldn't be the sickness that would get him.)

He quickly dealt with the lone attacker before slumping down beside the wall.

He was starting to feel the pain of the wound and it began to move like a fire, spreading over his abdomen. But despite the pain, things seemed, nearly funny? He didn't know why but he was quite cheerful.

He slowly made his way back to the jet, humming gently under his breath. He was well aware of the blood running down his body but he wasn't really too bothered about it in all honesty.

He couldn't figure out what song he was humming through and that annoyed him more than the actual injury itself.

He finally reached the jet and made his way inside. Everyone else was already sitting discussing the mission. Peter plopped himself down on one of the seats and removed his mask. His forehead was all sweaty and yucky, and his curls were all matted together. He couldn't quite figure out why.

Tony noticed him entering but didn't pay much attention to him. "How'd it go underoos?" He asked the boy not looking up.

This, Peter thought, was the funniest thing ever. So he started laughing. And that hurt, which for some reason he found funnier again. He was having a great day all in all.

"What's so funny?" Tony asked

"I've been impaled." Peter laughed lying back. Tony just rolled his eyes thinking it was just one of Peters movie references that he did on the daily.

It was Bruce that finally noticed that the boy wasn't actually all there.

"Oh shit, Tony, he's been stabbed!" Bruce said getting to his feet quickly rushing over to Peter.

"Peter! Why didn't you mention that you've been stabbed?" Tony said angrily trying to mask the worry in his voice as he ran over to where Bruce was beginning to examine him.

Peter frowned. "But I did tell you. I said 'I've been impaled' it was actually about four seconds ago. You really need to keep up with conversations Mr Tony."

"What even happened? I thought people couldn't surprise attack you with your spider thingy. I thought you could tell when danger was coming?" Bruce said as he peeled back Peters suit to reveal a not very deep wound, but it was still bleeding heavily.

"Well, I've been sick all day, so I took so medicine..."

Tony immediately interrupted the boy. "You've been sick? And you didn't mention it?"

"Exactly Mr, you get it! Anyway so I took a load of medicine because I go through it so much quicker than like someone who's not been bitten by a spider, and so because of that, I was sorta dopey, and to be honest, I barely even remember the actual mission. So then when I went to check the rooms, my senses did play up a bit but I just thought it was like my sinuses or something and then next thing I know, there is a knife in me. So I kicked the man down and then I walked here." Peter smiled looking at the men. As he spoke, the pilot began to actually move the jet as Bruce started to clean out the wound.

Peter hissed in pain because the disinfectant stung. "You okay Kid?" Tony asked concerned.

"Mr Stark, I don'-"

Tony cut him off with a glare. "I swear to god Peter if you say 'Mr Stark I don't feel so good' I will actually throw you off this Jet, and that is a promise. It also goes for the rest of your life FYI."

Peter grinned at him. Bruce sighed and sat back. "The bleeding is slowing down, he should actually be fine in about an hour. He'll still be in pain but as long as he doesn't move too much he should be fine."

"So I can help May decorate for Christmas?" Peter asked. Tony rolled his eyes once again. "Is that actually all you care about right now?"

Bruce decided to cut in. "You'll need rest and you need to shake that cold as well. And please don't overdose just for the sake of seeing if it'll do anything, okay? Just leave good enough alone."

Peter grinned at him and nodded. "I'll be good, I promise."

"I very much doubt that," Tony mumbled.


End file.
